Electricians usually learn their skills through on-the-job training, although some begin in technical schools. An apprenticeship requires at least 144 hours of instruction in topics such as electrical theory, blueprints and the electrical code, plus 2,000 hours of paid internship, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Electricians also must fulfill licensing requirements in most states. Because of the level of training involved and the difficulties of the job, electricians are paid fairly well. The average electrician who works for someone else earns more than $50,000 per year.

Average Wages

The average electrician's full-time salary was $52,910 annually as of May 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the average pay for 2,080 hours of work per year and is equivalent to an hourly wage of $25.44. The BLS wage statistics only include electricians working as employees and do not include self-employed contractors. As of 2010, approximately 90 percent of electricians worked for someone else.

Range of Wages

There is a wide variation in pay among electricians based on a number of factors. Electricians in the 10th percentile earned than $30,390 per year, according to the 2011 government report. This is equivalent to an hourly wage of $14.61. Electricians earned $82,680 per year at the 90th percentile, or $39.75 as an hourly wage. Many electricians work overtime, which can boost their earnings further.

Pay by Industry

Building equipment contractors employed 357,340 of the 512,290 electricians nationwide as of 2011, according to the BLS report. These electricians had an average annual salary of $52,600. The next-largest employer was local government, which had 15,570 electricians averaging $57,580 per year. Employment services had 9,130 electricians earning $46,360 per year on average, and nonresidential construction employed 7,690 more, at average pay of $52,910 annually. The electric power industry employed an additional 7,120 electricians, paying them an average of $59,150 per year.

Highest-Paying Industries

The highest-paying industry with more than 100 electricians was natural gas distribution, according to the 2011 BLS survey. The gas industry employed 790 electricians at average pay of $75,030 per year. Accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll businesses employed 1,180 electricians with average pay of $73,680, and the motion picture and video industry employed 1,220 more, with average pay of $71,380 per year. Remediation and waste management employed 270 electricians and paid them an average of $70,240 per year.

High-Paying States

Three states had average pay of $70,000 per year or more for electricians as of 2011, according to the government survey. Alaska led with an average annual wage of $72,030. New York was in second place, paying electricians an average of $70,680 per year. Electricians in Illinois also earned $70,430 in average annual income.

Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects jobs for electricians to increase by 23 percent between 2010 and 2020, faster than the average occupation. Maintenance of older buildings and growth in construction will increase the need for electricians. Alternative energy will also need electricians to link new energy sources to the power grid. Jobs for inside electricians normally are more resistant to economic fluctuations than outside or construction jobs.